How to make gluten-free soaked oats

I remember a few years ago the "all natural, whole foods, all organic" food blogging community went bonkers over soaked oats.  Basically all you did was add oats to a glass bowl or container, add double the amount of water (or thereabouts) possibly add some lemon juice or something acidic to help break down the oatmeal... and 8 hours later = soaked oats.

But why in the WORLD would you "soak" your oats?

Well, some nutritional experts (especially those in the Sally Fallon/ Weston Price camp) say that soaking grains is the more traditional way to prepare them for cooking. They also believe that by soaking them it breaks down the naturally occuring "phytic acids" that apparently can inhibit the body from digesting the foods properly (or something along those lines.)

I won't try to pretend to be a scientific food expert or a nutritionist... so I don't have any real idea if all the hype about phytic acid is or isn't a big deal nutritionally. All I know (as a lover of all things oatmeal) is that these oats are super tasty, probably healthy, and incredibly easy to make.

So the reason I personally soak oats... because it's so darn easy and it means I can make breakfast the night before and eat it cold or heat it up for a hot, cozy cereal! I love oats and oatmeal. I always have. I grew up eating it and while I don't eat a lot of refined carbs, I love having a warm bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

Gluten-Free Soaked Oats Recipe Template
free of gluten, dairy/casein, eggs, and soy
printer-friendly recipe

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats (or quick oats, or steel cut oats, etc... I use Bob's Red Mill)
3 cups water
1/3 cup honey, coconut palm sugar, blackstrap molasses, or sugar substitute of your choice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Optional: 
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 - 3/4 cup raisins, dried blueberries, dried cranberries, etc...
1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice, etc...

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a glass jar. Stir to combine and cover tightly with lid or plastic wrap. Store in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. Soaked oats can be eaten cold or can be heated either on the stove or in the microwave (only takes about 90 seconds.) This recipe makes about 4 (3/4 cup) servings. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

***********************

Want more info on the reasons other people soak their oats? 
Check out these links: 

• Kath Eats Real Food, Overnight Oats http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/overnightoats
• Nourished Kitchen, Soaked Oatmeal Recipe  http://nourishedkitchen.com/soaked-oatmeal-recipe/
• Kitchen Stewardship, Soak your Oats  http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/11/30/monday-mission-soak-your-oatmeal/
• The Nourishing Gourmet, Soaked Oatmeal  http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/03/soaked-oatmeal-a-filling-and-frugal-start-to-the-day.html
• Passionate Homemaking, Soaked Oatmeal Breakfast  http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/09/soaked-oatmeal-breakfast.html 

Note of Curiosity: 
If you click through to some of the links listed above, a few of the recipes have wheat flour included in the soaking ingredients. Since we're gluten-free, we're definitely not adding any type of wheat flour to our soaked oats. I'm not exactly sure how the addition of wheat is supposed to "better" the soaking process... but our soaked oats are completely delicious on their own, all naturally gluten-free. 

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Roasted Pumpkin and Sage Soup

Roasted Pumpkin & Sage Soup

This is a delicious and comforting soup for an autumnal day.  The addition of the white wine completes this dish perfectly!

Serves 8

Prep time:  20 minutes

Cooking time:  45 minutes

Ingredients

1 small/medium pumpkin

2 large carrots, chopped into 2-3cm pieces

2 large red onions, peeled and cut into wedges

4 garlic cloves, peeled

4 tbsp olive oil

Freshly ground salt & pepper

2 tbsp dried sage

250ml dry white wine

1.5 litres of chicken or vegetable stock

Preparation method

1.  Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas mark 8.

2.  Cut the pumpkin into 2-3cm wedges and remove the seeds.  Place the wedges in a large roasting tray along with the carrots, onions and garlic.  

3.  Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 45 minutes, turn a few times.

4.  Remove the vegetables from the oven, when the pumpkin is cool enough to handle scoop out the flesh and place in a large pan with the rest of the vegetables.

5.  Place the roasting tin over a high heat, add the sage and wine.  Bring the wine to the boil and scrape any roasted vegetables from the base of the tray.  Add the stock and bring to the boil and then turn off the heat.

6.  Blend the soup until smooth - you may have to do this in batches.  Season to taste and it is ready to be reheated when needed.  Serve with crusty bread.

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Almond Flour Cut Out "Sugar" Cookies (Diary/Egg/Grain Free, Paleo)

These cookies resemble a soft sugar cookie and have a slight sweetness that will pair nicely with frosting, jams or whatever else you can think to decorate them with.



So Bake, Cut, & Enjoy!







Almond Flour Cut Out "Sugar"Cookies (Diary/Egg/Grain Free, Paleo)




Ingredients:




2 cups fine ground blanched almond flour (such as Honeyville, not Bob's Redmill it's too coarse ground)

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This Week's Menu -- Back to the Grind

Spent nearly all last week near Jacksonville, Florida with my husband's sister Lisa and her family. It's the first time we've had the chance to visit her since she moved to Florida several years ago. And we had a blast.

Yet... it's time to head back to work tomorrow and life as "normal." Although, I was pretty okay with "life as normal" being traveling, eating delicious foods somebody else prepared, and pretending I didn't own an alarm clock. :-)

But as much as I love vacation, it's time to get back into a daily routine. And I know full well that overall I function much better on a routine.

So to jump right back into a routine I'll start with our weekly menu.

This Week's Menu: 

• Monday: Hawaiian Chicken (pg. 174 from the new cookbook!)  with steamed broccoli and baked sweet potatoes

• Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner -- scrambled eggs, fruit salad, some sort of vegetables... 

• Wednesday: Leftover vegetable beef stew, from the freezer

• Thursday: Asian-Inspired Turkey Breasts  (pg. 210 from the new cookbook) with almond green beans and steamed carrots

• Friday: Homemade taco salad night!! Using leftover ground beef & lentil taco filling from the freezer! 

• Saturday: slow cooked baked beans with millet bread 

• Sunday: sandwich night while I prepare a few meals for the next week! 

Breakfasts: mini omelets, soaked oats

Lunches: leftovers or turkey sandwiches with homemade applesauce (pg. 48 from the new cookbook!) 

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Crock Pot Pumpkin & Crab Chowder (Dairy Free/Paleo)

Ok, I know I made you guys wait for this one. Normally, I don't blog about my crazy life or busy week but goodness....the last few have been a blur. Recently I agreed to write a 2000-word yoga article and provide four lovely yoga pics of myself for a magazine. (Haha, I'm such a 'poser')



Now, it's hard enough to like a picture of oneself as it is, but add to that putting it in a

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Farewell to Florida -- Tips for Making Gluten-Free Guests Feel At Home

It's been real, Florida. And we'll be back.

6 days in Fleming Island, Fl. Complete with Winn Dixie stores that have separate gluten-free sections, a Mellow Mushroom, Chick-Fil-A, and... oh yeah.. beaches. Beaches are good.

We ate well here. Mostly in my sister-in-law's kitchen. Grilled ribs, twice baked potatoes, gluten-free pancakes, gluten-free pulled pork barbecue, coleslaw, homemade black-eyed peas... I could go on!

And we not only ate well here, we were welcomed here. We felt at home.

Want to know how to make a Celiac or somebody who's gluten sensitive or allergic... or ANYBODY with food allergies --> feel at home?  Here are a few tips, all of which were put into practice without any help from me by my husband's wonderful sister Lisa and her family:

• Offer naturally gluten-free foods for meals that the whole family can enjoy.

• Going out to eat? Ask the gluten-free guest where they would like to eat. If you have favorite places in your area call them ahead of time and ask if they have a gluten-free menu. 

• Ask your gluten-free guest ahead of time what types of snacks they enjoy. If you can find gluten-free crackers, chips, and even cookies available in your local stores: surprise your guest with a gluten-free item. 

• Have lots of healthy, naturally gluten-free snacks available such as: fresh fruits and vegetables, roasted nuts like pecans, peanuts, or cashews, boiled eggs and/or cheese sticks in the fridge, etc... 

• If you are making regular meals WITH gluten along with gluten-free meals... make SURE to prepare the gluten-free meals FIRST with clean utensils, bowls, chopping boards, and cookware, on a freshly cleaned surface. 

• Don't make a big deal about it. Sure, it takes some preparation and extra thought, but help your guests to feel normal by not making a big deal out their dietary restrictions. If they want to talk about it and share with you, awesome! But many gluten-free folks can feel like they are "putting people out" or making things difficult by having to be different. This is especially important when you have gluten-free kids visiting! They need to feel like normal kids, not "the problem" kid... 

• Relax. Many people have multiple food sensitivities and/or food allergies that can be a challenge. If that's the case, ask your guest if they would prefer to cook for themselves and ask for suggestions on how you can help (ie... purchasing certain groceries, what special equipment they might need, etc...) In some cases it may be easier to allow your guest to have full control over his or her menu while they are visiting. Don't be offended if they cannot eat your food, they are simply looking out for their health and don't want to be sick while they are enjoying your company! 

What are your tips for feeding guests with strict dietary requirements? Do you cook for them? Buy groceries? Allow them to cook for themselves? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

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Top Ten Gluten-Free Meals and Snacks on the Road

When my dad was sick the past few months we did a LOT of traveling and eating on the road. As we all know when you eat on the go it can be expensive, (for gluten-free folks, especially) it can be hard to find, and it can be super frustrating when you have a variety of food sensitivies and/or allergies.

On our recent trips I have found quite a few options for eating gluten-free on the road! In no particular order here's my favorite top ten snacks and meals I eat when we're traveling:

1. boiled eggs -- you can either make boiled eggs or you can find them pre-made at many different gas stations and grocery stores. A single serving portion of a healthy, lean protein. 
2. fruit -- bananas and apples can generally be found at most gas stations and can ALWAYS be found in grocery stores on the road. Again they are automatically in single servings and travel well and have a healthy punch of fiber and natural fruit sugar. 
3. nuts/seeds -- super awesome protein and fiber all rolled into one delicious bite-sized, travel friendly package! Also can be found at most gas stations and grocery stores. Watch sodium counts though, as some are absolutely loaded with salt. My favorite? Roasted cashews. 
4. Go Picnik Gluten-Free Meals -- These meals have been an absolute LIFESAVER over the past few months. Not only have they saved me money by not eating out, but they are portion controlled, shelf-stable (no refrigeration required!), contain no high fructose corn syrup and contain healthy servings of protein, fiber, and fruit along with a piece of gluten-free chocolate! Make SURE when you are buying them to purchase the GLUTEN-FREE varieties! 
5. Glutino crackers with Sunbutter (or peanut butter) -- If the Go Picnik meals are out of your price range you can just take along a jar of sunbutter and a package of glutino crackers  -- still a bit pricey, but overall cheaper than the Go picnic meals and everybody loves "peanut butter" sandwiched crackers! Quick, easy, shelf-stable and relatively healthy! 
6. gluten-free beef jerky -- READ THE LABELS! Many varieties of beef jerky are NOT gluten-free, but quite a few ARE and they are becoming easier to find in gas stations and grocery stores. One brand in particular that I like is: Jack Links Beef Jerky.
7. Wendy's chili and a side salad or baked potato -- When I want a hot meal on the road Wendy's is one of my favorite places to go. I generally go for the simple and frugal options of a small chili and a baked potato. Wendy's also has many salads that are gluten-free and you have many of the grilled sandwich options without the bun. Check out the Wendy's gluten-free menu options for more information. 
8. Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken nuggets and waffle fries or a fruit -- My other favorite choice for a hot meal on the road! I generally have grilled chicken nuggets with a side salad and/or a fruit cup and their homemade lemonade. Chick-Fil-A also offers gluten-free FRIES because they cook their fries in a dedicated fryer. If you are unsure of the actual store policy make sure to check with a manager before you order (and check their gluten-free menu), but I've never had problems with cross-contamination at Chick-Fil-A. A definite winner for the gluten-free community! 
9. KIND Bars or Glenny's Fruit & Nut Bars -- It's now a rare trip when I don't see KIND bars or Glenny's Fruit & Nut bars in gas stations on our trips. KIND bars are generally about twice as much as the Glenny's bars, but I love both and always enjoy having them as an option when we're traveling. I've seen these most often in Sheetz gas stations and in the healthy/organic sections of grocery stores. 
10. McDonald's scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, and fruit smoothies -- Yep... McDonald's...the bane of the American industrialized food industry... but honestly (especially since I've been gluten-free) having the option of ordering scrambled eggs & sausage on my way to work has been a huge help more times than I care to mention. Is it healthy? NO. It's an option... and sometimes you just WANT an option. So take or leave it... know it's available and when you're dying to get breakfast on the road. And the smoothies rock (and you can ask them to leave out the yogurt if you are intolerant to dairy)... probably have more sugar than a coke... but there you go. Feel free to check McDonald's allergen statements frequently as products can change. 

Do you agree? Disagree? What are your favorite gluten-free GO TO foods when you're traveling? Share in the comments below! 

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Slow Cookin' with Jenni of Spoonful at a Time

I don't know if you've met Jenni yet or not... but she's a new gluten-free blogger in the Triangle area of NC and I think the world of her. 

I had the opportunity to meet Jenni at this year's first Raleigh Gluten-Free Expo. She was representing Triumph Dining (and did a smashing job if I do say so myself, I believe her booth of Triumph Dining books was completely sold out by the end of the day!)

Jenni's keen sense of humor and wicked awesome sense of taste make her a true asset to the gluten-free food blogging community. Jenni loves to share recipes, share gluten-free traveling tips, and write product and restaurant reviews. 

I asked Jenni several months ago if she would like to review my cookbook on her blog and do a giveaway. I was completely thrilled when she agreed. And I truly could not have asked for a more honest and thoughtful reviewer! Jenni tried no less than SIX recipes from my book and shared her successes along with the recipes that didn't turn out quite so well for her... which I LOVED. I'm so glad she was honest in how the recipes worked and what she learned in the process. I really hope it will encourage lots of people to use their slow cookers more often and to see how versatile they can be!

And the best part? Now YOU have ANOTHER chance to win a signed copy of my book! Jenni is having a giveaway RIGHT NOW on her blog that you can enter! I hope you'll head over and enter her contest, tweet it up, and share it on facebook. And while you're at it... subscribe to Jenni's blog for awesome recipes, product reviews, and a great read. 

And after you've done all that make sure to read about each recipe Jenni tried over the past week!

1. Hearty Beef Stew

2. Hawaiian Chicken

3. Balsamic Almonds

4. Salsa Chicken

5. Homemade Barbecue Chicken

6. Maple Pumpkin Spiced Lattes

Jenni, thank you so much for spending so much time with my book and sharing about it on your awesome blog! 

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Michael and I are enjoying the first real vacation we've had in several years. We're spending time with Michael's sister Lisa and her family in beautiful Fleming Island, Florida. 

It's gorgeous here. Comfortably warm, breezy days, and cool, crisp evenings have just been one of the wonderful things about this trip. Lisa's husband Todd has spent his entire career working in the grocery business and helps stores know the best foods to buy, the best organic items available, the best produce... and BONUS: he loves to cook. Todd gets gluten-free. The first morning we were here Todd decided to make pancakes and from the kitchen I heard, "Carrie, would you like some gluten-free pancakes?" 

Do you know you how rare it is to hear something like that when you're visiting friends or family? Even awesome friends & family? 

And not only did Todd have a gluten-free mix... Todd used a clean mixing bowl and utensils. Todd cleaned and scrubbed the griddle and spatula before he made my pancakes. I think I was seriously speechless for the first time in a LONG time. 

Then that evening Todd made a naturally gluten-free dinner of barbecued ribs (making sure the sauce was gluten-free), twice baked potatoes, coleslaw, and black-eyed peas. Talk about thinking things through and making sure your guests could eat well. I don't know if he and his wife will ever really understand what that means to me. 

So today I decided to make cupcakes. I needed to make dinner and cupcakes for my family. We may be world's apart in our politics, but when people care enough to feed you well, that's truly something special. 

Please keep in mind these delicious little cupcakes are still kind of a work in progress. I made them with the only gluten-free ingredients I had on hand, a boxed mix of Sof'ella Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Mix that I brought on vacation. This mix contains: white rice flour, navy bean flour (and amazingly has nearly NO beany aftertaste!), cornstarch, tapioca starch, natural flavor (no idea), baking powder, sea salt, baking soda. and xanthan gum. I think because the spices in the cupcake are so strong it masked any aftertaste from the bean flour in the mix. 

Because this mix is primarily for pancakes and waffles I decided to add a tiny bit more baking powder and baking soda to make sure the cupcakes rose as much as they should. 

If you try them with your own gluten-free flour mix, or your favorite gluten-free flours, please let me know what you think! 

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

free of gluten, casein/dairy, and soy

created by Carrie of Gingerlemongirl.com

makes 18 cupcakes

printer-friendly recipe

Dry Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups Sof'ella gluten-free all purpose baking mix 

1 cup sugar (actually used 3/4 cup splenda sugar blend for baking -- due to BIL Todd's dietary restrictions)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I LOVE pumpkin pie spice, cut back if you'd like!)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

3 eggs

3/4 cup extra-light olive oil (best kind for baking)

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with cupcake papers. Spritz cupcake papers with nonstick cooking spray to prevent cupcakes from sticking
• In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. 
• In a smaller bowl whisk together all wet ingredients. 
• Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients thoroughly until you have a thick batter. 
• Scoop about 1/4 cup of thick batter into each cupcake paper. 
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. 
• Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. 

Directions for Homemade Spiced Frosting: 

• Add 1 cup coconut oil or spectrum palm shortening to a bowl and slowly mix in 1 pound of powdered sugar. Mixture will be very crumbly. Add 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice + 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg to the powdered sugar mixture and stir together well. 
• Slowly add water or milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting is the consistency you desire. 
• Frost cupcakes and serve. 

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Having trouble seeing GLG on your Facebook Wall?

Love it or hate it... social media is one of the most popular tools of communication in this day and age. facebook is the way I communicate most effectively with my readers of Ginger Lemon Girl. While I also use twitter, facebook opens the doorway to ongoing communication in somewhat more organized manner (in my opinion) so therefore, it's what I tend to use most actively.

In the past year facebook has made major changes to "pages" for businesses, blogs, churches, etc... Any type of facebook page, no matter what the subject matter or whether it's for-profit or non-profit, or generally just sharing information like I do (other than promoting the book) -- is now required to PAY for their posts to be seen by all of their followers. Otherwise, only 10% of the people who "like" the page will actually see the postings shared. Facebook did this to find a really easy way to increase their revenue.

So basically if I want you to see really important information on my page, I have to pay facebook to make sure they show it to you on your wall or in your newsfeed. And unfortunately I don't have the funds to constantly promote my posts.

There is a way around this, but it will take a little effort on your part, here's basically what you will need to do: 

To keep RECEIVING ALL FACEBOOK POSTS, TIPS, and RECIPES FROM GLG, you have to open our page, hover the mouse on the "Like" button near the gear symbol. In the pop-up select "ADD TO INTEREST LISTS".

Then create an interest list - gluten-free, baking, etc on your personal facebook page. Then when you select that interest list you will see ALL of our posts. Here's a great post explaining how to create an interest list: http://sproutsocial.com/insights/2012/03/how-to-facebook-interest-list/

Have questions or want to share a thought? Leave me a comment below! 

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Baked Sour Cream Parmesan Chicken

soup-er easy, soup-er yummy chicken

Served over wild rice blend with oven roasted 

asparagus and sauteed mushrooms.

 Lay the chicken breasts in a sprayed casserole and 

season with onion and garlic powders, s&p.

Cut large breasts in half for easier serving.

Combine the soup and sour cream.

 Spread the mixture over the chicken.

Sprinkle the top with shredded Parmesan

and bake @375 for 40-45 minutes.

Toss fresh asparagus with a little olive oil

 in a small baking pan and sprinkle with salt&pepper. 

Add to the oven the last 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile saute the sliced mushrooms in butter 

and sprinkle with salt&pepper. 

To plate: serve with wild rice blend, chicken, 

sauce and top each serving

with mushrooms and asparagus spears 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baked Sour Cream Parmesan Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts

   Onion powder, about 1/2t

   Garlic powder, about 1/2t

   Salt & Pepper

   1 can Cream of Chicken soup

   1 C sour cream

 1 C (4 oz) shredded Parmesan cheese

  1 C (4 oz) mushrooms, sliced, 

          seasoned and sauteed in butter

 8-12 asparagus spears, oven roasted

          the last 20 minutes
Uncle Ben's Wild Rice Mix                                         

 Cut chicken breasts in half if large and arrange in

 a greased 9x13 casserole. Sprinkle with seasonings.

 In a bowl, combine the soup and sour cream. 

Spread over the chicken,. Sprinkle with the cheese.

 Bake 375 for 40 minutes, until cheese is golden.

 Remove and garnish each serving with 

mushrooms and asparagus spears.

4-6 servings

Enjoy!

Links: My Romantic Home,
Designs By Gollum, Common Ground,

The Charm Of Home

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It's Here!! "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook" RELEASE DAY!

It's the OFFICIAL release date for 

"The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook." 

Which means you should now be able to find this book not only on all your favorite online bookstores like Amazon... but you'll also be able to find it in physical Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and your favorite independent bookstores!

When you purchase a copy and if you enjoy the book, I hope you will think about leaving a review on my Amazon listing! (Insert begging! Please! Pretty Please!!) This will really help me to promote the book, help people find the book faster when searching on Amazon, and also help me to establish my presence as a credible author for future gluten-free cookbooks!

And just so you know... You all ROCK! All of you! Thank you for reading my blog and helping me create this amazing cookbook! I could not have done it without your readership!

Please stay tuned for another Big Giveaway later this week!

Current Giveaways on other websites: 

• Win a brand new signed copy from Tasty Eats at Home
• Win a brand new signed copy from Gluten Freely Frugal
• Win one of TWO copies from Gluten Free Goodness

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Banana Loaf Cake

Banana Loaf Cake

A delicious and moist banana loaf cake with a wonderful banana frosting topping! This is a perfect cake for afternoon tea.

Serves 8-12

Prep time:  15-20 minutes

Cooking time:  35-40 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake

100g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

200g light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 medium eggs

300g over-ripe bananas

60g plain chocolate, chopped or in buttons

80g walnuts, toasted & roughly chopped

180g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the frosting

100g full-fat cream cheese

100g unsalted butter, softened

250g icing sugar, sifted

30g banana, mashed

Preparation method

1.  Preheat the oven to 175°C/Gas mark 4 and grease a 23cm x 13cm loaf tin with butter.

2.  Place the butter, light brown sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and cream together until pale and fluffy.  Beat the eggs lightly and slowly add to the mixture while mixing on high speed.

3.  Mash the bananas and add to the cake mix, followed by the chocolate and the walnuts.  Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together and add to the cake mix on a low speed until combined.  Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 35-40 minutes.  Take out and leave to cool.

4.  For the frosting, place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.  Place the butter and icing sugar in a separate mixing bowl and cream together until pale and fluffy.  Add the cream cheese, a little at a time to the butter mixture and mix at a high speed until the frosting is combined.  Add the mashed banana.  Once cool, cover the top of the cake with frosting and chill for 30 minutes to set the frosting.  Serve at room temperature and enjoy!

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Easy Fried Rice

Better than take-out!
This is not an exact recipe, but it will give you 

the technique to turn a few leftovers into

 a new and tasty dish.  

This is a great way to up-cycle leftover rice.

 We brought home the white rice and the 

 stir fry entree leftover from dinner out. 

With a little of this and a little of that

I can have fried rice in 10 minutes.

You can also use your own planned leftovers:

 rice, beef, chicken, pork or shrimp. 

Chop an onion, carrot, and celery. Saute in hot oil

 and butter in a large skillet. Add the peas. Push

the cooked vegetables to one side of the skillet

 and on the empty side scramble the eggs. 

Break them up into small pieces

 and then combine with the vegetables. 

Season with salt or garlic salt and pepper.

Add the cooked rice and saute, stirring often.

Add the leftover entre' or whatever you have 

leftover: cooked chicken, shrimp or pork along with 

any vegetables that came with it. 

Give it a good douse of soy sauce. 

Continue sauteing until steamy hot.

This is more of a guide to a very flexible

use-what-you-have-on-hand recipe. 

Try it once and you'll have great take-in! 

Easy Fried Rice

3C leftover cooked rice

2T oil + 2T butter

1 onion, chopped
(2t minced garlic, optional)

1-2 celery stalks, chopped

1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2C-1C frozen peas or
peas and carrots

(1/2C-1C any other vegetables 

you want to use up like: mushrooms, 

broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, etc)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

salt/garlic salt & pepper

1/4C-1/2C soy sauce + more to taste

In a large 12" skillet heat the oil and butter.

Saute the chopped vegetables until tender,

about 5 minutes. Add the peas; stir and saute 

another minute. Push the vegetables to one side

 of the pan and add the beaten eggs to the empty

 side and scramble breaking up into small pieces.

Combine everything and season with the s&p.

Add the rice and stir to combine well. Douse with

soy sauce to taste. Start with about 1/4 C. 

Saute until steaming hot.

 Mix in any leftover cooked entree 

you have on hand (chicken or pork or shrimp).

Stir until heated through. Taste for seasoning.

Add more soy sauce to taste. Serves 4

Enjoy!

Links: Stone Gable,
My Romantic Home,
Rattlebridge Farm

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Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes Recipe

Yesterday was our 8th wedding anniversary!! It's hard to believe that 8 years ago we were walking out on a sandy beach with about 10 of our closest family members and getting married on a beautiful October day. Every year we do something special for our anniversary. Some years it will be a little vacation or an overnight trip to the beach... but other years (especially if we're into super budgeting mode) we just spend the day together. No major plans. Nothing set in stone... just a day together...

This year we took the day off of work. Went out for a leisurely breakfast. (My favorite meal out is breakfast!) And I spend the afternoon cooking and baking. We had homemade beef tacos for dinner but I wanted something super special for dessert.

Michael's favorite dessert is chocolate chip cookies. (This recipe in particular!) My favorite dessert is cupcakes. I wondered if I could merge the two into one diabetic-coma-inducing sugary treat. (Okay, not really... lol) I read lots of different recipes on the interwebs and finally went with an idea from Kevin & Amanda  that seemed much less complicated than other recipes: basically just plopping good 'ol chocolate chip cookie dough right into the cake batter.

And it worked. It worked really well. The cake rose up beautifully, even with the cookie dough being in the middle. In Amanda's cookies, the cookie dough sank to the bottom of the cupcakes and she topped them with a homemade cookie-dough flavored frosting. In my cupcakes, the cookie dough just sat on top and baked sort of in the middle, so you get a surprise bite of cookie inside the cupcake!

Want to make these cupcakes? 
Follow Amanda's directions for making and assembling the cupcakes. 

• For the cupcakes I used my basic homemade yellow gluten-free cake mix recipe. 
• For the chocolate chip cookie dough: Michael's favorite chocolate chip cookies -- chilled for about 30 minutes, I plopped about a tablespoon of dough into each cupcake. 
• For the frosting, I followed Amanda's recipe (scroll to the bottom of the recipe ingredients!)
• For the cookie toppers: using the remaining cookie dough, make a batch of really small (using about a teaspoon of dough or less per cookie) cookies. Once they are baked and cooled, cut them in half and stick a half cookie in each cupcake!

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This Week's Menu - From challenge to challenge

So this week came quickly, almost in a blur. I've been tirelessly working on promoting the book along with my full-time job. I am incredibly proud of the book. I worked really hard to create a unique resource that contains both healthy, whole foods (naturally gluten-free) slow cooker recipes, along with plenty of quick family and kid-friendly recipes as well.

Last week I stepped out of my comfort zone by doing a podcast interview with Elizabeth Barbone (sweetest lady in the entire world!), speaking to a local Kiwanis Club about the gluten-free diet and slow cooking, and then traveling over the weekend to visit my grandmother and driving nearly 600 miles completely by myself in  a little over 24 hours. (I know... I'm a wuss!) So I felt extremely challenged this week with public speaking, doing an interview, and than traveling quite a distance by myself. While I did a lot of that stuff on my own when I was in college, I've been nearly attached to the hip to my husband over the past 8 years... which has been awesome... but it was a healthy change to get a little independence under my belt over the past week!

I've been so thankful for the all the positive feedback on the book. I truly cannot thank all of you enough for testing recipes, for reading the book and giving comments, etc... it's been a great experience! And don't forget, you can still enter to win a signed copy of the book AND a brand new slow cooker!

Our meals this week will continue to be from the pantry & freezer. I didn't have time today to make any meals ahead of time, so I think I'm going to use the slow cooker to create 2 fish dishes in the evenings when I get home, along with a few other super easy-to-make meals.

This Week's Menu:

• Sunday -- Had to work, ate a GoPicnic gluten-free meal.
• Monday -- Herbed Tilapia Stew (from the cookbook, page 39, will take an hour and a half on high in a slow cooker!) served over brown rice.
• Tuesday -- 8TH ANNIVERSARY!! Off work and we will be spending the day going to a local corn maize, picking out pumpkins, and enjoying a fancy lunch or dinner out! 
• Wednesday -- Breakfast for dinner: yellow grits, scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and cooked apples with cinnamon.
• Thursday --  Barbecue Chicken (from the cookbook, pg. 170 -- halving the recipe and cutting the chicken in small pieces, so it will cook faster!) with steamed broccoli and carrots. 
• Friday -- Ground Beef Ragout (from the cookbook, pg. 195) 
• Saturday -- Cookbook Party at home!! Will be making Turkey Meatballs with Tangy Apricot Sauce (pg. 181), Hot Chicken Buffalo Bites (pg.72), Cinnamon & Sugar Pecans (pg. 76), Slow Cooker Snack Mix (pg.77), Gluten-Free Corn Bread (pg. 46), Ham & Cheese Slow Cooker Omelet (pg. 51), Grandma's Green Beans (pg.92), Honey-Ginger Carrots (pg.217), and Blueberry Cobbler (pg. 272) -- If you're in the Eastern NC area and you'd like to stop by and try out all the goodies, please email me (gingerlemongirl at gmail dot com)! 

You can find a whole round up of gluten-free weekly menu plans at Celiac Family each week! 

For menus of all types, make sure to visit OrgJunkie.com! 

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Black Bean Salsa

This is great on grilled salmon and so much more.

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 jar salsa

2 T brown sugar

Stir to combine. 

Make ahead to let the flavors mingle.

Serve as a garnish with grilled

meat, fish or chicken.

Or serve as a dip. 

 Just 3 ingredients!

  You probably have everything in your pantry.

It gave my leftover roast pork slices

a whole new flavor. You can heat the salsa too,

then spoon on leftover chicken and pork.

YUM!

Or just serve it as a dip, or wrap in a lettuce leaf

for munching. 

Enjoy!

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Bacon & Chive Coconut Flour Biscuits (Paleo, Nut/Gluten/Grain/DairyFree)

I'm not a woman of many words today, but that's OK because these tasty pumpkin drop biscuits pretty much speak for themselves! They are the perfect partner to some warm soup on a cold day and are brilliant for making breakfast sandwiches in the morning. The best thing about these little guys: they are super versatile, so don't be afraid to ditch the onions and bacon (blasphemy, I know!)

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The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook BIG GIVEAWAY!

Over the past two months I've shamelessly begged & pleaded for you, my dear readers, to help me spread the word about my new book, my blog, and my facebook page. And you did. You shared with friends & family, you left kind and uplifting comments on my facebook page and I'm incredibly grateful! We've reached over 3,000 likes on facebook and that was the magic number I was hoping for in time for the book release! The book (while still not officially released) has been flying off the virtual Amazon shelves and has received very positive reviews thus far! And now it's time to share with you!!

This week I'm giving away FIVE brand new, signed copies of my book and TWO of those winners will receive a brand new 4-quart Rival Crock Pot brand slow cooker (purchased by ME and sent to you!! The winner can choose black or red!)  This was the slow cooker that I used for MOST of the recipes in the cookbook and I think it's the perfect size for mid-range slow cooking!

Using the 4-quart slow cooker to make pumpkin bread! 

Want to win a copy of the book and a new slow cooker? Here's the nitty gritty:

THE CONTEST IS NOW OVER! Congrats to our winners:  

1. Sarah
2. Jill H. 
3. Abigail H. 
4. Anna
5. Denise W. 

The Giveaway

• I am giving away FIVE copies of my new book to FIVE of my lucky readers. TWO of these readers will also receive a brand new 4-quart slow cooker. 
• This giveaway is limited to residents of the 48 contiguous United States aged 18 and older.
• One entry per person.
• Enter by leaving a comment on this post AND please include a way for me to contact you -- Your email address preferably.
• The giveaway begins October 4, 2012 and ends on October 10, 2012  at 11:00 pm eastern time.
• No purchase is necessary.  Odds of winning are based on the number of entries.  
• The winners will be randomly chosen and will be contacted by email.  The winners will have 24 hours to respond.  If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be randomly chosen.

Disclaimer:  The new cookbooks and slow cookers to be given away in this drawing were purchased solely by myself and not provided by the publishers or companies listed. 

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Egg & Nut Free Pumpkin Spice Coconut Macaroons (grain free)

For any of you who can't have pumpkin (or just don't like it) I apologize! There is no cure for my pumpkin obsession. And believe me, I have tried everything....EVERYTHING.....including trying to push "through" the obsession by eating an ungodly amount of pumpkin, only to find myself stuffed and craving more! But don't worry too much about me, it will pass....in a few months or so. For

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